Photo of Norman Rockwell with the Navajo family of John Lane, October 19, 1969, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah–Arizona. Bureau of Reclamation photo by W.L. Rusho. Norman Rockwell Museum Collections. Norman Rockwell Family Trust. All rights reserved.
Stockbridge, MA, December 24, 2013— Norman Rockwell Museum will present an afternoon tea and talk with author Jane Allen Petrick, author of “Hidden in Plain Sight: The Other People in Norman Rockwell’s America,” on Saturday, January 18, starting at 2 p.m. Ms. Petrick’s book explores in-depth, for the first time, the stories of Asian, African, and Native Americans who modeled for and appeared in Rockwell’s artwork. The author will discuss her intensive research, partially conducted at Norman Rockwell Museum, that has made her publication possible.
“Norman Rockwell’s America was not all white,” notes Ms. Petrick. “As early as 1936, Rockwell was portraying people of color with empathy and a dignity often denied them at the time, and he created these portraits from live models. This book is dedicated to those ‘other people’: individuals who have been without name or face or voice for so long.”
“Jane Allen Petrick has created an important work,” states Norman Rockwell Museum Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt. “Her book shines a bright light on Rockwell’s personal philosophy of inclusiveness and social justice, told through his visual stories. Through close study of his images, careful research in Rockwell’s papers in our Museum’s archives, and first person interviews which chronicle the memories of models of their photo sessions, Ms. Petrick brings sharply into focus an aspect of Rockwell’s work that has, as her title states, been largely ‘hidden in plain sight.’ An important contribution to Norman Rockwell studies.”
Copies of “Hidden in Plain Slight” are now available for purchase in the Norman Rockwell Museum Store, and a book signing will follow the afternoon talk, with tea and treats provided. The event is free for Museum members, or with regular Museum admission.
About Jane Allen Petrick
Jane Allen Petrick is the author of several books on topics ranging from biography to workplace issues. She was a bi-weekly columnist for the Knight Ridder Newswire, and her articles have appeared in numerous publications including “The New York Times,” “Denver Post” and “Washington Post.”
Born and raised in Connecticut, Jane earned a BA in economics from Barnard College and received her Ph.D. in organizational psychology from Saybrook University. Retired as a vice-president of ATT Wireless, she is now the vice-president of Informed Decisions International and an adjunct professor at Capella University. Jane has provided consultation in organizational behavior and diversity competence to numerous corporate clients including IBM, Nextel and Xerox.
Long a passionate supporter of cultural and historic preservation, Petrick has contributed to local preservation efforts in both Florida and New York State. A licensed tour director, she conducts cultural heritage tours on the East Coast, from the Everglades to the Maritimes. She and her husband divide their time between New York’s Hudson Valley and Miami, Florida.
Visit the author’s website at www.janeallenpetrick.com